North Carolina Ended Teacher Program Entrance Exams
The state board removed testing requirements to boost enrollment in teacher training programs.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in College Applications
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On September 3, 2026, the North Carolina State Board of Education voted to eliminate entrance exam requirements for teacher training programs. This change, which officially took effect July 1, replaces test scores with GPA requirements to encourage more residents to enter the teaching profession.
Why it matters
The policy shift aims to address staffing shortages after the state recorded a 7.4% teacher vacancy rate during the previous school year. By removing barriers such as the basic skills exam, officials hope to widen the pipeline of candidates seeking educator licensure.
Applicants must now maintain a 2.7 GPA or belong to a cohort with a 3.0 average, replacing former benchmarks like an 1,100 SAT or 24 ACT score. Nationally, 15 states required skills exams as of 2021.
The players
North Carolina State Board of Education
This is the state agency responsible for overseeing public school policy and determining teacher licensure requirements.
The details
Lawmakers included the repeal provision within the state budget to streamline the admissions process for future educators. Additionally, new rules allow for permanent teacher licensing based on student test growth scores achieved over two of the past three years, with teachers given until their third year to pass remaining exams.
Timeline
July 1, 2026: The legislative repeal of the exam requirement took effect.
September 3, 2026: The State Board of Education voted to finalize the rule change.
Fall 2026: Students began applying to training programs under the new admissions criteria.
Culture Shift
This policy change reflects a broader movement to move away from standardized testing as the primary gatekeeper for professional programs. It signals a shift toward prioritizing academic performance over singular exam results in response to localized labor market pressures.
Prospective teachers in North Carolina can now apply to training programs without needing to sit for standardized exams or report SAT and ACT scores. Residents interested in the profession will face lower initial barriers to entry while still being held to GPA standards.
The takeaway
The removal of entrance exams suggests that North Carolina is prioritizing candidate volume to resolve chronic classroom vacancies. Aspiring teachers should focus on maintaining a strong GPA, as this has now become the primary metric for program admission in the state.
What happens next
Education schools in North Carolina are scheduled to report enrollment data to the state annually, which will provide the first look at whether the removal of the exam requirement has successfully increased interest in teaching programs.
Further reading
Learn more about the evolving landscape of College Applications and how admission standards change.
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Do you support removing entrance exams to help fill teacher vacancies in your local schools?
